The Chosen.

TH1989

"BILL!" I scream so violently my vocal cords shake in my throat. He sleeps so peacefully in the bed next to me reminding how calm he looked in death even after being brutally murdered. Using the bottom of my fists, i bang against the glass begging to be let out. No one seems to hear my cries so i attempt to break my confinement by kicking the glass.

My wails begin to become heavier and louder. Tears stream fluidly down the sides of my temples soaking the white pillow supporting my head. My spit becomes thickened and chokes me as it drains to the back of my throat.

Whats that noise? Breathing a sharp breath in, i cease my screams to listen closer. A faint hissing sound breaks the silence in my container. Feeling the cool touch on my leg, i look down and see a white smoke floats through the glass gracefully.

With wide eyes i watch the vapor as it leaks from the bottom and swirls around my legs enveloping them. My heart slams in my little body, my breathing stays steady as i just observe. Brushing against my body the gas reaches up around my chest.

"Ahhh!!" I scream out as the smoke enters my lungs burning my air ways. As i thrash my body around violently, i start to notice the room getting blurrier. My breathing becomes more labored as i fight to keep conscious, the gas now flowing through my blood stream. A large man in all white appears outside of my container.

The man bends down slowly, his eyes narrow as he examines my terrified expression. "LET ME OUT!" i scream, banging weakly against the glass as my consciousness fades. I can no longer fight the feeling, my eyelids become too heavy for me to hold and i drift off to sleep.

***

My face is snuggled deeply into a fluffy white pillow, a few seconds pass and i suddenly realize i am not in Tom and I's bed. My head jerks up as i look around a room. The stark white room is lined with hospital beds each containing one of my friends. Bill is no longer in sight.

The door to my left is forcefully swung open as the familiar man in all white enters the room. "Follow me." He demands grabbing my arm when i don't move from my position.

Several more men enter the room, all grab my friends escorting them out of the room. On the way out of the thresh hold i catch a glance with Mia, her face is terror-stricken.

"June!" i feel the back of my gown being tugged on and i start to turn but i know that voice anywhere.

"Tom!" i cry out as i spin around in the line we are escorted in. Tom's frame is ripped from his position as he is pulled back by two men in white uniforms. Attempting to run to his aid, i take a heavy step forward only to be ripped back as well.

I am dragged by my shoulders down the rest of the barren hallway as i gave up fighting back a minute ago. The other men are dragging Tom so i have no objection in where ever i am going as long as he is following closely behind.

We reach a set of double doors that are swiftly opened from the inside, letting us enter. I stare back at a large board room that contains long wooden desks that create a U shape. At the empty section of the desk there are several adults who stand adorned in long white jackets. I am placed firmly into a rolling chair that was pulled out of the desk for me. That's when i see him.

Bill sits 3 chairs down from me, his attention focused on the lady at the front of the room.

"Bill." I whisper under my breath.

I grieved so heavily for him and now here he sits, right in front of me. My eyes peer to the side as i watch the man behind me walk to shut the door. Quickly running to Bill, grabbing his arm i spin him around

"Bill!" I say as my hands softly cup his cheeks.

Bill yanks back from me as his eye brows furrow. He takes a step back examining my face and i can feel all my blood turning cold.

"Do i know you?" He asks.

"Bill, it's me... June?" i answer confused. A massive lump appears in my throat making it hard to swallow. I can feel my heart shattering in my chest at the look on his face. He has no idea who i am.

"Sorry, i don't-" He begins to say softly, confusion still painted across his beautiful, beautiful face that i missed indescribably but is cut off by the lady at the front of the room.

"Please, everyone take your seats. We are about to begin." My head turns to Tom as i once again sit in my chair. Before he parts his eyes from mine to look at the speaker, i notice the sullenness behind his gaze.

"I know all of you are wondering why you are here and what happened. I will explain everything momentarily." Says the tan skin, dark haired woman at the middle of the room. She paces a few steps silently before beginning again.

"I am Dr. Gomez and this is Tokio Laboratory." Her hands out stretch gesturing to the walls that surround us. "You all, with an exception of one, have been through something extraordinary. We like to call that extra ordinary thing, near death experiences. Or NDE's for short. These are subjective phenomenons resulting from disturbed bodily multisensory integration that occurs from life threatening events."

My eyes wander to my friends as they try to soak up the information. Zeke's expression stays cold and emotionless while Tom's jaw hangs open astounded at the words that come from the woman's mouth. He is the exception after all.

"For some time now you have been under a serum by the name of TH1989. This serum produced by these ingenious chemists and biologists behind me, has created the ability for us to study your minds as you encounter near death experiences. Once under the serum you were placed in air tight containers that kept your body at perfect metabolic conditions and maintained all vitals throughout the entire process. Once the study began, the oxygen in the tank was depleted, causing optimal levels for clinical death. The purpose of the experience was to study your brains as you were all put through life changing conditions with out any interference." The lady runs through the occurrences as our gaze remains glued to her. My heart thumps in my chest, so none of what i went through was... real?

"When can i go home?" Zeke says as he stands aggressively from his chair, sending the wheels spinning on the wood paneled floor. The rest of us following his stature in a united front, standing against the people in front of us.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible."